Auto-rickshaw drivers' strike in Dhaka leaves commuters stranded

A strike by auto-rickshaw drivers over various demands has left ordinary commuters in the capital suffering badly since Monday morning.

From Monday morning (9 November), auto-rickshaw movement has almost come to a halt in Dholai-khal, Dayaganj, Jatrabari, Dholai-para and nearby areas.

During the strike, there have also been incidents of vandalism and obstruction against the few auto-rickshaws plying the roads.

From the morning, auto-rickshaw drivers supporting the strike took positions at important intersections across the capital. The rare auto-rickshaw seen on the road was stopped.

In some places headlights were smashed, and in others the battery connections of auto-rickshaws were disconnected.

The drivers say they called the strike in protest against the government's new policy, which sets a high licence fee and bars a single driver from operating more than five auto-rickshaws.

Around 9 in the morning, auto-rickshaw drivers gathered in a procession at the South Jatrabari intersection in the capital. They were seen chanting slogans over various demands.

Around 9:15, an auto-rickshaw carrying two schoolgirls was attacked at the Dayaganj intersection. A man struck the auto-rickshaw's headlight, and it broke.

The two schoolgirls in the auto-rickshaw were frightened. An argument between the driver and the attacker later turned into a scuffle.

At the Murgitola intersection, three or four auto-rickshaws were stopped and their battery connections cut off. Reports of obstruction to auto-rickshaw movement have also come from various areas.

With auto-rickshaw services suddenly halted, office-goers, students and ordinary passengers are in trouble. People heading to work could be seen standing at various intersections.

Many who left home in the morning for work were forced to walk long distances after failing to find transport. An official travelling from Jatrabari to his office at Jagannath University said, 'I came to the road and saw no auto-rickshaws running. Now I am forced to walk.'

Although the strike has increased commuters' suffering across the capital, it is not known in detail what steps the authorities concerned are taking to restore normalcy.